Burial vault dome section



Nov. 22, 1955 J. P. RIBLET BURIAL VAULT DOME SECTION Filed July 18, 1952 INVENTOR Joe ZERiZ'Zf ATTORNEY United State Patent 2,724,168 BURIAL VAULT DOME SECTION Joe] P. ibngoanon, one; a Application July18, 1952, Serial No. 299,657

SClaims. curl-3s This invention relates to an improved construction of dome section for burial vault and more particularly to an improved dome section of the type built to function on the fdiving bell principle in conjunction with a burial vault base section or pan, and wherein water is prevented from rising into the dome section after it is buried in the ground by the air trapped in said dome section,so that the casket is maintained above the water level within the burial vault andis thus prevented from being submerged. However, it frequently occurs that a hole rusts through the dome section after it has been buried for a numberl of years in which case the air seal is destroyedand the water i may then rise within the burial vault to the upper part of the dome section and submerge the casket contained therein. 1

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provideran improved construction of dome section which will prevent the air seal from thus being broken to maintain an air chamber in the dome secton indefini tely to prevent water from rising in the burialvault to above the level of the top of the base section, even though a hole occurs inthe dome section above the water level within the burial vault.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a burial vault dome section which is so constructed that it will substantially eliminate condensation within the burial vault and in the chamber thereof occupied by the casket.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novel dome section including an outer shell and at least one inner shell or liner spaced from the outer shell and having a combined metal thickness substantially greater than the normal thickness of a burial vault dome section yet which may be more economically manufactured and sold than a conventional burial vault dome section having the single ply of the same gauge or thickness as that of the outer shell and inner shell or liner combined.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a burial vault including a dome section constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the burial vault, with the casket omitted therefrom, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the lower part of the burial vault showing the dome section thereof separated from the base section.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, a conventional burial vault pan or base section is illustrated and designated generally 5 and includes an elongated top or platform portion 6 having a depending wall 7 completely around the marginal edge thereof and which depending wall 7 terminates at its bottom edge in an outturned supporting flange 8 which completely surrounds the bottom portion of the wall 7 and which is downwardly and outwardly offset with respect to the platform 6.- The portions 6, 7 and 8 constitute a conventional metal burial vault base or pan section on the platform portion 6 of which a casket 9 is supported, usually upon supporting elements 10 which are interposed between the platform 6 and the underside of the casket 9. i

The burial vault also includes a dome section, designated generally 11, said dome section 11 being of novel construction and comprising the invention. The dome section 11 includes an outer shell, designated generally 12, having a top portion 13 which may be of any desired shape or configuration and a depending surrounding wall portion 14 which depends from and completely surrounds the marginal edge of the top portion 13. The wall portion 14 terminates at its bottom edge in a continuous inturned flange 15 providing a supporting surface adapted to rest upon the base section flange 8; however, said flange 15 could be omitted if desired. The wall portion 14 is preferably provided adjacent its lower end above and adjacent the flange 15 with an outwardly flared portion 16.

The dome section 11 additionally includes atleast one inner shell or liner, and in the drawing only a single inner shell or liner, designated generally 17 has been illustrated. The inner shell or liner 17, includes a top portion 18 preferably corresponding in shape to the top portion, 13 of the outer shell and which is somewhat smaller both as to length and width. Said inner shellor liner 17 also includes a continuous depending wall 19 substantially corresponding in shape to the wall 14 and which is likewise somewhat smaller both as to length and width.

\ The liner wall 19 is provided with an outwardly flared bottom portion 20 if the outer shell wall 14 is. provided with a flared portion 16, and in anyevent the bottom edge of the liner wall 19 terminates above the level of the bottom edge of the outer shell wall 14 and above and spaced from the flange 15, if such is provided. The space between the bottom edge of the liner wall 19 and the bottom edge of the outer shellwall 14.0r its inturned flange 15 defines an air passage 21 extending entirely around the bottom part of the dome section 11 and which opens inwardly with respect thereto and communicates with the air chamber 22 formed by the space between the outer shell 12 and inner shell or liner 17. Spacing elements 23 are preferably interposed between the outer shell 12 and liner 17 and are secured to each of said parts for maintaining a substantially uniform spacing between said parts. However, if desired and especially where the inturned flange 15 is provided, the spacing elements 23 may be omitted.

The outer shell 12 and the inner shell or liner 17 are formed of metal, preferably steel and may be of any desired gauge or thickness and the thickness of the liner and outer shell may be the same or may vary.

Assuming that the base or pan section 5 has been placed on the bottom of an open grave, not shown, after the casket has been lowered into the grave in its position to be supported by the platform 6, as illustrated in Figure l, the dome section 11 is lowered over the casket 9 and over the base section 5 so that the flange 15 thereof or the bottom edge of the outer wall 14 rests upon the outturned base flange 8. However, the engagement of the flange 15 or wall 14 with the base flange 8 does not seal the burial vault and consequently as the water rises in the ground it will enter between the base flange 8 and the flange 15 or the bottom edge of the wall 14. The water thus entering the burialvault will seal the air in the interior of the dome section 11 and the air thus trapped will function to prevent the water from rising sufficiently to submerge or partially submerge the casket 9, the water ordinarily rising to approximately the level as indicated at 24 in Figure 1 within the burial vault, adjacent to and spaced below the platform 6. Similarly, the water will enter the air passage 21 and rise therein to ap- Patent ed Nov. 22, 1955 nally of thelinerorinner shell section 17 will prevent the water from rising above the water level 24 within the burial vault. The air chamber 22 will also prevent the formation of condensationon the inner sideof the dome section as defined by theliner 17 which frequently causes deterioration of the casket, and any condensation occurring on the inner side of the outer shell 12 may only drain intuit-he water filling the bottom portion of the space 22. Frequently, after a burial vaulthas been in the. ground fora number of years a hole will occur in the dome section dueto rusting or other causes and with conventional burial vaults ofsa single thickness of metal, this will resultlinxbreaking of the air seal allowing the escape of air from the burial vault thus permitting the water to rise in the burial vault to the water. level externally of the vault usually completely submerging the casket. However, should ahole occur in the outer shell 12 this will merely result in the breaking of the seal of the air chamber 22 allowing the water to rise therein but the inner shell or liner 17 will maintain the air seal internally of the burial vault so that the water may not rise to above the water level .24 thus maintainingthe burial vault eifective under such circumstances. I

Whilethe dome section 11 has been illustrated and described as including only a single inner shell or liner 17, it will be understood that any'number of inner shells may be provided to form a dome section having two or more plies and wherein the plies or shells and liners are spaced from one another to form one, two or more air chambers corresponding to the air chamber 22 and each having an air passage adjacent the bottom edge-of the dome section.

Various other modifications and changes are contemplatedandmay obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A burial vault 'dome section formed of at least two plies including an outer ply or shell and an inner ply or liner, said shell and liner each being of uninterrupted construction open at the bottom only thereof and formed of a material impervious to liquids and fluids, said inner ply or liner being spaced from the outer shell to define an air chamber therebetween sealed above the level of said open bottom, the bottom edge of said liner having a portion disposed above the level of the bottom edge of the shell to define an air passage therebetween connecting the interior of the dome section and said air chamber, and spacing elements interposed between and interconnecting the shell and liner to provide a unitary structure and for suspending the liner within and spaced from the shell.

2. In a burial vurial, a dome section including an outer shell and at least one innershell disposed within and completely surrounded by said outer shell, said shells each being of an uninterrupted construction open at the bottom only thereof and formed of a material impervious to liquids and fluids, said inner shell being smaller than said outer shell to define an air chamber therebetween completely surrounding the inner shell, said innerland outer shells having vertically spaced bottom edge portions dcfim ing an air passage communicating with said air chamber and opening into the interior ofsaid dome section adjacent the open bottom of the dome section, and said outer shell having a continuous inturned flange at its bottom edge disposed beneath and spaced from the bottom edge of said inner shell and forming said inwardly opening air passage.

3. A burial vault dome section as in claim 2, and means interconnecting said shells for supporting saidinner shell with the bottom edge thereof disposed above and spaced from said inturned flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 490,869 Carr Jan. 31, .1893 507,763 Smucker Oct. 31, .1893 950,681 Snyder Mar. 1, 1910 1,871,453 Cobb Aug. 16, 1932 2,111,275 Blower Mar. 15,1938 2,167,091 Simpson July 25, 1939 2,508,319 Westenhaver May 16,1950 

